11. Growth in E-Learning: The Language of FTEs

North Seattle College's first Distance Learning "Full Time Equivalent" enrollments
(Based on data compiled by the NSC Distance Learning Office)

Consider reading this narrative in the order in which it was composed, starting with Post #1.

The NSC Distance Learning Office preferred what we considered to be a "true" measure of the growth in "Distance Learning" by counting the total number of DL course enrollments each quarter.  For example, one student taking three DL courses would be counted as three enrollments.  This approach disregarded the total number of "credit hours" associated with each course (such that a three-credit course counted the same as a five-credit course).  We considered total course enrollments ("seat count") as a more "pure" way of gaging the full extent of interest and participation in distance learning.  

Justifications could be made for instead counting total course credits (regardless of specific numbers of students and courses) or total "headcount" (regardless of the number of courses and credits that each student takes) as alternative approaches to measuring the growth of distance learning.  And, in fact, generally the colleges do prefer presenting enrollments in terms of total credit hours taken each quarter.  This measurement is usually reported as a quarterly or annual "full time equivalent" (FTE), so here is a brief primer on what that term means.

A quarterly FTE ("full time equivalent") is equivalent to 15 "credit hours", considered a "full-time load" of credits for a student.  Most courses consisted of 5 credits (5 hours of classroom instruction per week over the course of 10 weeks plus an exam during the 11th week), although science courses with labs often counted for 7 credits because of an additional 2 hours of lab attendance each week.  A fair number of courses also consisted of only 3 credits because they required only 3 hours of classroom instruction per week.  However, I observed that courses were mostly standardized to be 5 credits after 2000.  There were exceptions, for example one or two credits associated with field trip classes or other special types of instruction.

Clearly, counting hours of "seat time" associated with "classroom instruction" is not how "distance learning" works!  This artificial and antiquated measurement of learning no longer fits with the more individualized and diverse ways that students access their instructional resources.  At the moment, however, I don't believe we have another way to "quantify" learning in most academic settings.  An "exam" or written "exposition", typical for professional and technical certification, is also not a simple way to gage learning.  An instructor is a key evaluator, in all cases.  Regardless, we need to go with our current reporting framework.

Back to credit hours and FTEs!  As stated above, a quarterly FTE is equal to 15 credit hours of instruction per quarter.  So, a "full-time student" (one taking 15 credits in a term) is equal to one FTE.  Three part-time students, each taking one 5-credit class, together are counted as one FTE as well.    

To be continued...